


space romance - thulaz week 2017

by volleycatnika



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Galra Dads, M/M, Space Cats, galra in love, im late like usual, let them be happy, let them live, purple space cats, space dads, space nya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-12-03 11:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11531175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volleycatnika/pseuds/volleycatnika
Summary: LET MY DADS LIVE GDIIIIalso im late lmaoprompts:Day 1: first/lastDay 2: distance/solitudeDay 3: marmora/galraDay 4: touch/secretDay 5: loyalty/sacrificeDay 6: family/domesticDay 7: free day/AU





	1. day 1: first/last

“I love you,” Ulaz whispers, despite there being no need to. They’re alone together, titting on the roof of a rebel planes. Well not just any plane, it’s Thace’s plane. Thace’s plane is a lot different than the other planes used by the Blade of Marmora. Not only is it newer, but it’s prettier… It’s colorful, with various patterns having been painted on it by Ulaz.

 

“Why are you whispering?” Thace asks, with a chuckle. “It’s just us… It’s just me and you. Well, me, you and the stars. The stars are not going to scold us for making out on top of a plane.”

 

Now it’s Ulaz’s turn to chuckle. “Making out out on top of a plane, huh? Is that what you want to do?” Forr a few, agonizing minutes all Thace does is gaze at him. His gaze is soft yet intense, with his eyes never leaving Ulaz’s face.

 

“Well, yes and no,” Thace admits, slowly raising one hand to cup Ulaz’s chin. “Firstly, I want to speak to you - to say the ‘I love you’ I should have said a lot earlier. I love you, Ulaz. I love how patient you are… How kind, intelligent and undersanding you are. I love that strip of hair you dare to call a haircut. I love the facial markings you take the time to paint on every morning.”

 

Ulaz grabs a hold of Thace’s other hand, and guides it to his chin, so now both of Thace’s hands are touching his face. “That is the best ‘I love you’ I’ve ever heard,” Ulaze exclaims, “you put mine to shame!”

 

“I suppose you will have to say it again,” Thace says, before giving Ulaz a quick kiss on the lips. “You could say it again, or kiss me.  The choice is yours.” Too impatient to wait for a proper response, Thace gives Ulaz another quick kiss.

 

“Stop teasing me, Thace!” Ulaz whines, “Kiss me now. Kiss me properly! I promise to say ‘I love you’ again.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Thace replies, kissing Ulaz again… Kissing him longer, and more passionately. “Stop your whining. I will not tease you anymore.”

 

“Sure you won’t,” Ulaz huffs, “you say that every time.”

 

“I’ll promise then,” Thace says, covering Ulaz’s face in kisses. “I will not tease you anymore. And if I do, you can ban me from getting kisses for a day.”

 

Ulaz doesn’t even hesitate. “Promise accepted.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“You should not be here,” Thace hisses, upon finding an all to familar stowaway on his ship. Well, his, Sendak’s and Haxus’s ship. Having recently been forced to share a ship with some of the toughest soldiers in the universe, Thace has found himself on edge… He constantly worries if his cover is believable and if he’ll die before completing his mission. Or worse, he’ll worries he may become like those he is working to stop.

 

“You should not be here either,” Ulaz hisses back, “you know how dangerous those two are! You should’ve aborted your mission. Everyone would’ve understood. Hell, I’m sure there are plenty of us that would love to see you back at the base. You have been gone… You have been undercover for such a long time, Thace.” Ulaz’s voice takes on a sadder tone at the end… A tone that makes Thace’s heart ache.

 

“I know, love,” Thace replies. “I know all too well. But the info they give me is important. It is _helpful._ You could even say it is vital for us to defeat them. I know it is difficult, scary and lonely but just give me a little more time. A few months… Even a few weeks would do. I’ll come back to you. _I promise._ ” Thace finds himself hugging and kissing Ulaz.

 

“A month,” Ulaz says, “And do not try to argue with me! Kolivan, although loving your intel, wants you back as soon as possible. Which,” Ulaz emits a tired sigh, “for you is always something ridiculous such as a month. Promise me you’ll return in a month?”

 

“I promise,” Thace says, just as a third voice interrupts them.

 

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, _traitor,”_ Sendak snarls, his already evil face looking especially intimidating under the scarlet alarm lights. Lashing out with his glowing arm, Thace doesn’t even have a chance to blink before he finds himself at the mercy of Sendak’s iron-tight grasp. Well, mostly iron-tight. His grip is quick to loosen, as Sendak favors throwing him into a wall over crushing him to death. “Haxus is fast approaching, and he is bring druids along with him. Are you going to try to fight me? Or you going to wait for him to get here… Are you going to let the Druid’s pick apart your brain? Make your choice fast. It is up to you whether you die a quick, clean death or a slow painful one.” With a brief pause, he adds, “Well, relatively quickly. I do like to toy with my enemies…”

 

“Quiznack those options!” Ulaz shouts, before dashing to Thace. Narrowly dodging deadly blows from Sendak, he helps Thace to his feet. “As much as I enjoy a good fight, I would rather we make our leave. Let’s get out of here.”

 

Pulling Thace over to a (luckily) nearby escape pod, he randomly hits buttons until the doors open. First helping Thace into the pod, Ulaz glances over his shoulder, and finds Sendak far too close to his liking. Knowing all too well that he doesn’t have time to get into the pod, he whispers “I love you more than this wonderful universe of ours,” before jumping out of the pod.

 

Thace only has enough time to scream out a heartfelt “NO!” before the pod door closes, giving him one last glimpse of Ulaz… A crying, yet smiling Ulaz who is yanked back by Sendak.

 

A rescue team finds Thace an hour later, curled up on the floor of the pod. Tears stream down his face as he speaks of the injustice… As he weeps about the fact he didn’t get to say “I love you” one last time.


	2. Day 2: distance/solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the gross formatting AO3 hates me

Thace can’t recall how he got here… A universe so familiar, yet so different. Everything is just slightly off that he could almost mistake it for his home.  _ Almost. _

 

It’s lacking many things.

 

It’s lacking the solid facts and difficult truths that his universe contains...  _ The Alteans, although now few and far inbetween are put on a pedestal. Their royal colors, consisting of shades of blue and white only raise them higher. With their bright, ethereal appearance, it is hard to see them as anything other than angels. _

 

_ As for the Galra… They are the opposite of the Alteans, clad in dark clothes consisting of black and gray. Although some adorn themselves with red, purple or blue accents they are still quite dark and eerie. If the Alteans  are angels, they are demons. Even those who rebel against their siblings… Even those who save lives instead of take them are seen as the scum of the universe.   _

 

Thace was use to such harsh treatment that when he ended up  _ here, _ he was shocked. It was a reverse situation he never thought possible. Despite wearing the same color schemes, each side acts differently. The Alteans use their shapeshifting abilities and superior technology to terrorize the universe. There isn’t an alien that utters “Altean” without trembling. 

 

As for the Galra… People say “Galra” with a gleam in their eyes. It is a faint gleam of hope, a distant dream they desperately cling onto... Surely, somewhere, there are Galra that can save them!

 

Thace had hoped for the same thing too. He hoped to find a large army. He hoped it to be so large that he could borrow some soldiers to fight in his own universe. Or, at the very least, have them give advice and help him back to his universe. 

 

Instead, he is stuck. The only Galra he has met are familiar yet unfamiliar faces. The first is prince Lotor, who he still can’t bring himself to trust, no matter how violence disapproving and peace loving he is. The second is his good friend Kolivan. Although Kolivan’s patience and support is comforting, he isn’t who he wants to see. Neither is the half-human, half-galra Keith. 

 

Thace’s heart aches for Ulaz. Ulaz would know how to return home… He’d know how to do so and how to help the Galra within this universe in the process. The closest person he has to Ulaz is Shiro. Shiro, the human Ulaz decided his life was worth risking to save.  

 

“We’ll find a way to send you back. Just give us some time,” Shiro assures him with a small smile. Thace knows that Shiro and the rest of Voltron are trying their best to help him, but he can’t help but feel frustrated. He can’t afford to give them time. He can’t afford to wait. With every passing second, new battles are breaking out. Battles that could be his or Ulaz’s last.

 

_ If they’re both destined to die, he wants to be able to say ‘I love you’ one last time. _

Giving a Shiro a shaky “thanks,” he retreats to his room. Clutching his pillow to his chest he cries, wishing that he was holding Ulaz instead.


	3. marmora/galra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only read this over once because I'm in a lazy mood

It starts with a rumor. “I heard that we’re going to have an optional classwide race next Monday,” Thace’s best friend, Antok, informs him as they slowly consume their dinner. The sooner they finish the sooner they’re expected to study for their upcoming physics exam. Although neither Thace or Antok particularly struggle in physics, they find it a far from interesting subject. “Ulaz never misses a race. It could be your chance to talk to him.”

 

“In theory, it could be,” Thace replies, sighting into his food goo. “I’m not the only one that likes Ulaz. Everyone is going to be talking to him before  _ and _ after the race.” Pushing his goo around as he thinks, a smile spreads across his face when he gets an idea. “No one in their right mind would try to talk to him during the race. All I have to do to in order to get a chance to talk to him is sign up for the race!”

 

At his words, Antok emits a hearty laugh. “You’re right, no one in their right mind would. Especially not a doctor in training who's flying skills are mediocre at best. ”

 

“You’re right about my flying skills,” Thace admits, “but there’s always room for improvement. If you were to help me train, I’m sure I could get good enough to be able to keep up with Ulaz. Or, at the very least, keep his ship in eyesight.” Knowing that Antok, despite his intimidating appearance is a softy, he adds “It would mean a lot to me   
.

“You’re lucky that you’re my best friend otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this,” Antok grumbles. Just seconds afterward Thace launches himself across the table to give him a hug. 

 

“You’re the best!”

 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,  _ Doc _ .”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Wow,” Antok exclaims, pretending to be impressed, “you managed to not crash into something for three minutes. You’ll win this race yet.” 

“Your snide comments aren’t helping,” Thace hisses, taking a minute to rub his sleepy eyes. “I just need to run the flight simulator one more time.” When Antok gives him a skeptical look, he hastily adds, “Just one more time.  _ Please, _ Antok?”

 

Antok emits a heavy sigh and runs a weary hand down his face. “We’ve already been here for hours, Thace. If we don’t head back to our rooms soon we’ll get caught being out past curfew. All of this practice will do no good if you get stuck cleaning the bathrooms, or washing dishes or babysitting the little ones.”

 

Thace raises an inquisitive eyebrow. “How do you know about all of these punishments, Antok? Have you been breaking a lot of rules lately?” Dialing his teasing up a notch, he adds, “I heard that Kolivan likes bad boys.”     

 

“I…” Antok stammers, flustered and unsure what to say, “he… One more time with the flight simulator and then we’re leaving!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“You’re better at flying than me, Antok! Why aren’t you in the race?” Thace says, speaking a mile a minute. “I’m going to lose without you. I’m going to crash and burn all in front of my crush. This was a bad idea I should leave while I still have the chance.”

 

Antok gently places his hands on Thace’s shoulders. “Breathe, Thace. Breathe in,” Antok waits for Thace to do so before continuing, “breathe out. You can do this. If any mediocre pilot can manage to not crash and burn while flirting with their crush it’s you.” Pulling him in for a hug, he continues, “When I let you go I expect you to put your helmet on and to get into your ship. I’ll be rooting for you.” Before Thace can reply, Antok lets him go and pushes him toward his ship.

 

With a nervous smile, Antok slips on his helmet. First giving Antok a shaky wave, Thace climbs into his ship. 

 

The hatch closes with a soft hiss. Running a few quick system checks, Thace lets his gaze wander. His ship is just one of many, with most of his classmates having signing up for the race. Although a majority of the ships are altered ex-Empire ships, some are new. Some are hand assembled by engineers on base.

 

Ulaz’s ship is one of those few new ships, his ship having been given to him as a birthday president by his general father.

Thace’s ship on the other hand… It’s just another old, hastily repaired ship.  _ God even Ulaz’s ship is out of his league! _ With a frustrated growl, Thace flips some switches and pushes some buttons. No, he must stay positive. No, he must not waste this opportunity!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Flying and talking turns out to be a lot harder than Thace expected it to be. The comms constantly crackle with the shouts of irritated students who want nothing to surpass their peers. The humming of engines echoes around him, and Thace feels like he got stuck in a thunder cloud. To make matters even worse, the presence of numerous asteroids results in Ulaz frequently disappearing from his field of vision. 

 

Uttering a string of frustrated curses, Thace accelerates. Narrowly avoiding colliding his fellow classmates and asteroids, Thace slowly closes the gap between himself and Ulaz.

 

Grinning like a fool, Thace starts to say Ulaz’s name when the Flight Instructor’s voice crackles over the comm “multiple Empire ships have been spotted and are headed in our direction. Please return to base in a quick but organized manner.”

 

Although many of his classmates follow the Flight Instructor’s orders well, a fair number panic. Their panic is contagious, and to Thace’s horror, his class is consumed by it. In a matter of minutes ships are zooming by each other, engines screaming and wings scraping against one another. 

 

“Panicking will get us nowhere,” Thace cries, desperate to calm his classmates “well, nowhere except the hospital. Please take a few deep breaths and-” he is quickly cut off by one of his female classmates. 

 

“Screw you and your deep breaths!” She growls, “I’m getting back to base before they initiate the lockdown sequence.” Said classmate barrels her way through the cluster of ships. “Move or get moved, losers!” The sound of scraping wings and crunching metal makes Thace’s stomach do somersaults. 

 

A few other people, assumably her friends, follow in her footsteps and push people out of the way. Most of the shoves only cause minor damage. However, one particularly nasty shoves sends a ship spiraling in the direction of an asteroid. 

Pushing both levers so hard that he’s afraid that they’ll snap, Thace flies toward the crashing ship. Angling it so he’s underneath it, he tilts his ship upwards, hoping to push the ship away from the asteroid, or at least slow the speed of its decent 

 

With a determined scream, he manages to push even harder.

 

He is narrowly successful, with his classmate’s ship just scratching the surface of the asteroid. His actions earn him a breathy “thanks.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thace is the last to return to base, his ship just slipping into the hangar as the lockdown sequence makes the doors close with a loud snap. 

 

Climbing out of his plane, Thace pulls his helmet off before flashing a reassuring smile at Antok. Noticing that his friend is shaking out of fear, he jokes about the situation. “It looks like I lost the race.” 

 

Antok chuckles as he gives Thace a nearly bone crushing hug.

 

“You did anything but,” a voice says, startling them both. Just a few paces behind Antok stands Ulaz. “You kept your cool and saved one of our classmates. I think you’re the real winner here.” With a small smile, he adds, “Nice flying, Thace.”

 

Thace’s heart flutters. 

 


	4. day 4: touch/secret

“The time has passed far too quickly for my liking,” Ulaz whispers, running a hand along the top of Thace’s head. When Thace merely hums in agreement, Ulaz moves on to pat Thace’s ears. Well aware how sensitive they are, he strokes them with feather light touches. “Neither one of us will know how long our next mission will last.” With a shaky breath, he continues, “What if we never see each other again?”

 

Picking up on Ulaz’s distress, Thace emits a comforting purr. “We will see each other again.” Slowly raising a hand, he brushes his fingers against Ulaz’s jaw. “The key to our success is believing in ourselves and each other.”

 

At his, Ulaz emits a content hum and nuzzles his face into Thace’s hand. “I believe in you. I believe in us but…” Ulaz is hesitant to admit his fears, “...but it does not stop me from worrying. I do not want to lose you.”

 

“Nor I you,” Thace softly replies. “It is okay to be scared, love. I am scared too.” Thace leans toward Ulaz and gently kisses his forehead. Ulaz smiles at the kiss. “The mission I am going on… The mission you are going on… They are far more complicated and dangerous than the ones we have gone on in the past.” When Thace pulls away Ulaz whimpers, so Thace leans forward once more and covers his forehead with kisses. “It will not be easy. Nonetheless, we can do this. We can complete our missions and in turn, end this war. We have trained our whole lives for this. We have  _ dreamed  _ our whole lives for this.”

 

“You are right,” Ulaz whimpers, tears streaming down his face. “Of course you are right. I should feel more emotions than fear. I should be excited, happy even. But...” embarrassed to be crying in front of his spouse, he buries his face in his hands “...but I am just  _ so _ scared. I have come to realize that I am more afraid of losing you than losing this war.”

 

“Ulaz,” Thace whispers, “Do not say such sweet things and hide from me.” Slowly and gently, he pulls Ulaz’s hands away from his face. Upon seeing his tear streaked cheeks, Thace emits a worried whine. With tears threatening to fall from his own eyes, Thace licks away the salty lines on Ulaz’s face. “Do I… Do we need to tell Kolivan that we changed our minds? Do we need to have him find replacements for us?”

 

“No,” Ulaz insists, his voice shaking, “I can still do this. We should still do it.” Ulaz takes a deep breath before continuing. “We  _ have _ to do this.”

 

“We do not _ have _ to do anything.” 

 

“We  _ need _ to do this.”

 

Thace lets a beat of silence pass before he replies. “Only if you are sure, love. Only if you are sure.”

 

“I am sure,” Ulaz says, giving Thace a quick kiss on the lips. “Now hold me.”

 

Thace is more than happy to oblige, pulling Ulaz closer. He purrs all the while. “I love you. I love you _ so _ , so much.”

 

Although physically unable to purr back, Ulaz tries his best, settling for a steady hum. 

 

His humming only makes Thace purr louder.


	5. Day 5: loyalty/sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> im very tired so I only read this over once
> 
> please try to enjoy it lmao

“You are a fool, Ulaz,” Ulaz’s assistant, Aikn says, meanwhile attempting to scrub old, dried blood off of the experimentation table. Although Ulaz has managed to weasel his way out of having to perform particularly gruesome experiments, he is often drafted into unconventional projects. Such projects are usually sponsored by Haggar who has a series of “war-winning” prosthetics that need to “go for a test run.”

 

Although magically gifted Haggar struggles with some technical aspects, such as the internal components of the arm. With her own pride often preventing her from getting help, the mistakes often go unnoticed until it’s too late - Until the bearer of the arm is wreathing in pain and their blood is staining Ulaz’s hands. 

 

His work isn’t as gruesome as it could be, but it still makes Ulaz sick to his stomach - still makes him angry and irritable. 

 

“What are you blabbing about, Aikn” Ulaz asks after a few moments, his focus currently being absorbed in scrubbing his hands. Although bright red liquid no longer covers his hands it feels like it does… It feels as though it has absorbed into his skin, becoming a part of him. He can’t scrub hard enough. _ He can’t feel clean. _

 

“If you weren't’ so thick-headed you would know what I’m talking about,” Aikn replies. Out of the corner of his eyes Ulaz notices that Aikn has given up on the stain in favor of gazing at him. “Commander Prorok has interest in you. When you’re present you’re all that he gazes at.”

 

Ulaz knows where this is going and he doesn’t like it at all. On one hand, becoming, for the lack of a better word,  _ closer _ with Commander Prorok could have many benefits. Not only would he be able to attend meetings he would otherwise be barred from, he could gain access to classified information by “borrowing” Prorok’s passcodes. On the other hand, if Commander Prorok truly gazes at him the way Aikn claims he would not be able to reap such benefits for nothing. Commander Prorok would expect things of him… Things that Ulaz had vowed only ever to do with Thace. 

 

Ulaz doesn’t want to get closer to Commander Prorok but he doesn’t really have a choice if Thace, Kolivan and Antok all agree that it is best for the rebel cause.

 

Reluctantly pulling his hands out of the sink, Ulaz turns off the faucet and dries his hands before responding to Aikn. “What I do or do not do with Commander Prorok is none of your concern.” 

 

To his annoyance, Aikn grins. “That was a pretty long ‘maybe I’ll mate with him,’ Ulaz.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Within the confines of his bedroom, he discusses the matter with Thace, Antok and Kolivan. To his surprise, Antok and Kolivan come to the same conclusion. 

 

“You have already sacrificed much for our cause,” Kolivan states, his words earning an approving nod from Antok, “it would be greedy and selfish of me to demand that you sacrifice more. After all, there are other ways we can gain access to such information.” His gaze shifts from Ulaz’s face, to Antok’s and back again. “Just like Antok and I make important decisions together, you and your husband should do the same. Antok and I will support you no matter what you choose.” Without waiting for a response, Kolivan and Antok hang up. 

 

Ulaz lets a beat of silence pass before he saying anything. “This is a great opportunity for us.” He hates how hollow his voice sounds. “It is a sure and easy way to gain access to important information.”

 

Thace’s eyes narrow in suspicion. “Is that how you really feel, Ulaz? Or are you trying to trick me into letting you do this?” His words, which ring painfully true, break Ulaz.

 

“I do not want to do it,” Ulaz wails, “I do not want to befriend a monster like him. I do not want to talk with him or god forbid let him touch me!” In a halfhearted attempt to hide his tears, Ulaz covers his hands with his face. “I only want to be with you.”

 

Thace emits a high pitched, worried whine. It pains him to see Ulaz like this. It especially hurts him because he isn’t there to cradle Ulaz in his arms - To cover his face in loving, reassuring kisses. “And I only want to be with you. You do not have to do anything you do not wish to.”

 

“I am already doing things that I do not wish to,” Ulaz barks, wincing at the harshness of his own voice. “I do not want to experiment on these pour innocent souls. What Haggar as me do to them is cruel and terrifying… I am a monster, Thace.”

 

“If you are a monster than so am I,” Thace replies, his voice strained. “I am a Captain, fighting on the front lines. I witness people getting killed, I order people to get killed and sometimes, even I…” his voice trails off because he can’t bring himself to admit such a horrible thing out loud. “Like Kolivan said, we have already sacrificed much for this mission. We do not have to sacrifice anything more.”

 

“But we could,” Ulaz whispers, his tears now dried on his face.

 

“We could,” Thace admits. “But we do not have to.  _ You _ do not have to.”

 

“We could and we should,” Ulaz insists in a voice that sounds like a distant echo of himself.

 

Unable to hold it in anymore, Thace bursts into tears. “You do not have to carry the weight of the whole rebel cause on your own two shoulders, Ulaz! Please let someone else get the information.  _ Please. _ ”

 

Now it’s Ulaz’s heart that aches. “I did not mean to make you cry. Please stop crying, Thace,” Ulaz begs. His words have the opposite effect. “You know me so well, love. You really do.” As he speaks he rapidly blinks in an attempt to prevent new tears from falling. “I will… I will not do it.”

 

It takes them both a minute to compose themselves, but they do. “I wish I was with you,” Ulaz says, a small smile on his lips. “I feel as though I owe you a thousand hugs and kisses…  _ I feel as though I owe you everything _ .” 

 

Thace smiles back at him. “And I wish I was with you. You owe me nothing, oh wonderful husband of mine. However, I will gladly accept those hugs and kisses when we see each other again.”

 

“When will we see eachother again?” Ulaz asks, not really expecting an answer.

 

“Soon, love,” Thace says, “I’ll make sure of it.” 

 


	6. Day 6: family/domestic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -thace being a doctor is based on an idea from my galra bb fic which I'm currently not allowed to post  
> -again only read over once bc i'm tired

The loss of the talented and ever reliable Sinnak was hard on everyone- Especially Thace, with her being his sister.

 

With their parents having been hung for “plotting against the Empire” when they were teenagers, Sinnak had been the only family he had left. Well, blood family that is. Thace had grown close to his rebel-in-arms considering everyone on base good friends, if not relatives. The exception to this is Ulaz.

 

Thace fell for Ulaz hard. The half-Galra and what he assumed to be half-Altean was one of the highest ranking students in his class, not only in GPA but combat and flight skills. The only thing Thace managed to surpass his classmate in was medical training. Poor Ulaz, despite intently listening to lectures and scribbling notes, was hopeless in the field. Prone to losing his kit, Ulaz spent most of his time searching for his kit than healing his injured peers. Luckily, Thace managed to fill the gap for Ulaz. 

 

_ “I will admit, the loss of supplies is a bit frustrating,” Thace says, his eyes never leaving the bloody arm in front of him. Tearing his hood, he wraps the ragged strip around the wound and ties it tightly. The injury is a mere flesh wound, with the amount of blood seeping from it making it look far worse than it actually is. “But I can make do with what we have as long as no one gets seriously injured.” _

 

_ His commander emits a hum of approval before splitting the group. Half will stay behind, guarding their ship and the wounded, and the other will infiltrate the small Empire outpost with her. To his surprise, a tall and familiar figure is in the half that stays behind.  _

 

_ Slowly rising to his feet, Thace is surprised to find Ulaz making a beeline for him. Although knowing that others need his medical attention, he waits just a few moments for Ulaz. _

 

_ “I owe you an apology,” Ulaz informs him, “I lost our medical kit. I must have dropped it sometime during our skirmish when we first docked. I am deeply sorry.” His voice is strained and full of anxiety. “Is there any way I could make it up to you?”  _

 

_ Thace can’t help but laugh. “Consider yourself forgiven. It is easy to lose items in battle.” With a moment of hesitation, he continues, “You can make it up to me by making sure no one gets a swing at me. I can protect myself but it is rather hard to heal and defend myself at the same time.” _

 

_ Thace can’t see the smile but he can hear it as Ulaz replies. “I would be more than happy to keep you safe, Thace.” _

 

Ulaz would save Thace’s life numerous times. In return, Thace would treat his injuries and give him extra medical training. Thace grew to look forward to being assigned to missions with Ulaz, who was a quick learner and a great listener.

 

Over time, they became friends.

_ Over time, they became so much more. _

 

By the time of Sinnak’s death, the two had been married for years and aching - yearning for something. Just what exactly they hadn’t a clue until Thace met his nephew. 

 

The half-human half-galra child, despite his lack of purple skin or fur, reminded him of his sister. With sparkling violet eyes, small ears that expressed even the smallest of emotions, Thace quickly grew attached to Keith and so did Ulaz.

 

_ “He is far smaller than any Galra kit,” Ulaz exclaims, cradling the boy in his arms. “Far lighter, too. Do you think he is eating enough? Oh god Thace, what if he isn’t eating enough?” _

 

_ “I’ll give him an examination tomorrow. For now he needs to rest. Just look at him, he is falling asleep already” Thace replies, motioning to the babe. With fluttering eyelids and twitching ears, Keith is on the brink of being overcome by sleep. _

 

_ Despite the obvious desire to sleep, Ulaz whispers, “Do you want to sleep, little one?” At his words, Keith grabs a fistfull of Ulaz’s shirt, seeming related to part with the warmth and comfort Ulaz provides. “I see, you want to sleep with me. Papa and I are more than happy to share our bed with you.” _

 

_ “P-Papa,” Thace stammers, “isn’t it a bit soon and a bit strange to be calling me that? I’m his uncle that he’s only known me for a month.” _

 

_ Ulaz rolls his eyes. “Do not let yourself get hung up in the technicalities, Thace. I have seen the way you look at this child. You love him as if he were your own child - as if he were  _ our _ own child.” _

 

_ Thace can’t deny such a fact. Wordlessly, he pats Keith’s head and runs a hand along one of Keith’s silky ears. After a few minutes of silence, Thace wispers, “he is a small, precious baby. Well, precious when he is not throwing a fit about being left alone. I think he fears solitude.” _

 

_ “Well he will not be alone anymore.”  _

 

As he grew older, Keith became less clingy or as what Ulaz liked to say “more independent.” By the time Keith entered his teenage years, he became so self-reliant that Thace and Ulaz almost forgot Keith wasn’t an adult.  _ Almost. _ Instances of bullying and nightmares reminded them of young Keith truly is.

 

_ The sound of sniffles coming from Keith’s room are quick to gain Thace’s attention. Is Keith suffering from allergies? Is he sick? Or perhaps he is crying... Gently knocking on the door, he waits for a response. When he hears none, he risks angering Keith by entering the room.  _

 

_ Sitting on the end of his bed, clutching his knees is Keith. His nose is runny and his eyes are watery. Knowing that Keith is one to avoid answering questions, Thace wordlessly sits beside him. After a beat of silence, Keith says, “They like to remind me that I’ll never be like you… How I’ll never be purple, tall and muscular. To them, I’m nothing but a hindrance or worse yet, a burden.” Keith pauses to wipe his nose on his shirtsleeve before continuing, “In my nightmares all I can do is watch as my peers are killed one by one. It’s gruesome and terrifying to watch, but nothing can compare to the nightmares of you and Dad getting killed trying to protect me.” _

 

_ “Being different does not make you weak,” Thace replies in a soft voice, kissing the top of Keith’s head. “However, if it would make you feel better, I am sure Dad would love to help you train. As for the nightmares… Why don’t you sleep with me and Dad tonight?” _

 

_ The expression on Keith’s face is priceless.  _

 

Keith grew and matured faster than either Thace or Ulaz could predict. In what felt to be a blink of an eye, Keith became an adult and a paladin of Voltron. Most importantly, he became someone that he was proud to call “me.”

 

Their family may have been unconventional, but it was the best family any of them had ever known. 


	7. Day 7: free day/AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> look what i finally finished LMAO

Day 7: free day/AU

Human!thulaz because why not

 

“Headache?” Thace asks in a voice just above a whisper. Across the table from him, Ulaz rubs his temples and reluctantly raises his gaze from his computer screen.  

 

“Yes,” he replies. Although his reply is short, Thace can detect a strain in it. The pain he’s feeling is no ordinary headache… It’s likely one of his migraines. After a brief pause, he adds, “it wouldn’t hurt as bad if I didn’t have writer’s block.”

 

Although worried about Ulaz’s well being, Thace finds himself laughing.“I don’t think that’s how science works, love. However, I bet you’d feel less grumpy if you didn’t have writer’s block. What story are you working on? Maybe we can talk it out.” His words seem to bring Ulaz some momentary relief, his fingers dropping from his temples for a few moments just to go back up soon after. “We can talk it out after you take a break. Close your computer, drink some water and come over here.”

 

Now it’s Ulaz who laughs. “You’re bossy but give good advice. I’ll take a fifteen-minute break, but no longer. I have deadlines to meet, Thace. We can’t have a repeat of last time, no matter how enjoyable that was.”

 

Thace grins from ear to ear. “It’s not my fault that the alarm for our nap didn’t go off!” His grins slowly fades as the memory flashes before his eyes. “Actually it is… I didn’t check the battery before we went asleep but hey! Your editor gave you an extension and you got some much-needed sleep. I’d say that it was a win-win situation.” 

 

Ulaz, who had gotten a cup of water while Thace was talking scoffs from behind his glass. “A win-win for you maybe. The only way my editor forgave me for finishing the books so late was by me writing a one-shot of her favorite pairing from  _ Avatar the Last Airbender _ everyday for a week.”

 

“You like that show,” Thace reminds him, gently nudging one of Ulaz’s feet  with one of his own. “You also love that pairing. Especially since one of the characters in it is your beloved Zuko.”

 

Ulaz takes a few sips of his water before moving his chair so he can sit beside Ulaz. “Alright, alright you’ve got me on that one. I’m weak for that show and it’s characters… Especially Zuko.” He lets a few beats of silence pass before saying anything more. “I took my medicine this morning yet I still got a headache… I think the universe hates me.” Before Thace can even blink, Ulaz flops over so he’s partially laying on his own chair and partially laying on Thace.”

 

“You’re so dramatic,” Thace chuckles, meanwhile running a hand through Ulaz’s silky silver hair. “This is the first time you’ve gotten a migraine in a while, right? We’ll just have to write down that you got a migraine today and if it happens again we can take you to the doctor.”

 

Ulaz relaxes into his touch. “I hate doctors.”

 

“But I’m a doctor!” Thace exclaims.

 

“Thace, you’re a veterinarian,” Ulaz deadpans.

 

“They’re the same thing,” is Thace’s automatic reply. 

 

“They’re  _ not _ the same thing. I would never marry a doctor.”

 

“Okay, okay. You win. Now the next thing you should focus on winning is this fight against your migraine,” Thace says with a small smile. “Let me know if you need help. I'm fully prepared to give you a head massage and kisses at moment’s notice.”

 

Ulaz intently listens to him, with his eyes brightening at the word “kisses.” Slowly raising his right hand, he runs it along Thace’s stubble covered jaw. “Although a head massage is tempting, I know what I need the most and that is for you to get down here. Kiss me but  _ do not _ purposely try to tickle me with your scratchy stubble.”

 

Thace intertwines one of his pinkies with one of Ulaz’s “I pinky swear not to tickle you. Now get ready for your kiss treatment!”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Ulaz has to pull an all-nighter to get his story finished by his deadline… Although tired he, is migraine free and can’t help but feel that the previous day’s smooch and cuddle session was definitely worth it.

 


End file.
